In addition to a successful planned Silent Auction, River Downs officials surprised representatives of the Greater Cincinnati Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Following the 6th race named The Pink Ribbon, track General Manager Kevin Kaufman presented a check for $5,000 to the foundation accompanied by Cincinnati Red’s mascot “Rosie Red” who made an impromptu visit to the track for the event.
“We were pleased with all of the events during the day, but had no idea such a donation was going to be made,” said Traci Clancy, special events manager for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “We had some great vendors and other individuals who donated quality items to the Silent Auction. The addition of the appearance by the legendary jockey P.J. Cooksey, who herself is a breast cancer survivor, was icing on the cake.”
Cooksey, once the leading female rider in the U.S., autographed photos for the fans and posed for pictures. “I rode a lot of places in my career,” Cooksey said. “When someone asks what my favorite track was – that’s an easy answer – River Downs. This track is beautiful, it’s a friendly atmosphere and both the turf and dirt are great to race on. I have a lot of great memories from here and still see a lot of familiar faces.”
Photo courtesy River Downs: (l. to r.) Traci Clancy Komen Special Events Manager, Amy Wagner Komen Director of Marketing, Rosie Red, Megan Williams River Downs Group Sales Coordinator, Kevin Kaufman River Downs General Manager, retired jockey Patricia "P.J." Cooksey.